Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan disqualified after refusing to shake her opponent's hand

Ukraine's government signaled it will no longer bar its athletes from competing against Russians who are taking part in sporting events as “neutral athletes," a significant easing of its boycott policy a year before the Paris Olympics.

Hours after the new policy was announced, Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan, a four-time Olympian, stepped up to fight an officially-neutral Russian opponent at the world fencing championships. Kharlan won, but was later disqualified after refusing to shake her opponent's hand.

The International Olympic Committee said it welcomed an easing of the boycott, but pointed to a need for “sensitivity" to Ukraine's concerns.

Since April, it was government policy for Ukrainian athletes to boycott any national team competitions that allowed athletes from Russia or Belarus to compete. That applied even if the Russians and Belarusians were officially considered “Individual Neutral Athletes,” the preferred term of the International Olympic Committee.

A decree dated Wednesday says Ukrainian athletes and teams will only be required to boycott if competitors from Russia or Belarus are competing under their national flags or other symbols, or have signaled allegiance to either of those countries in another way.

The change in policy could smooth the way for Ukrainians to compete at next year's Paris Olympics, but Kharlan's match showed the challenges that await.

“This decision will allow Ukrainian athletes to participate in international competitions and will enable them to qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024," the IOC said. "We are glad that they will be given this opportunity, and at the same time we are aware of the difficult inner conflicts they may have, given the aggression against their country.

“Therefor